Bondi Pavilion Restoration & Conservation Project

Waverley Council is planning a restoration of the Bondi Pavilion. A Development Application for the project will be submitted in April 2019.

The Bondi Pavilion Restoration and Conservation Project will restore the building to its former beauty, whilst maintaining it as a cultural hub for the Waverley community and visitors.

The Bondi Pavilion Restoration and Conservation Project takes into consideration the heritage and cultural significance of Bondi Pavilion, and is guided by the Bondi Beach, Park and Pavilion Plan of Management (Bondi POM) and the Bondi Pavilion Conservation Management Plan (CMP).

Creative and Cultural Restoration

Historically, Bondi Pavilion has been a community and cultural hub. Council is committed to honoring the Pavilion's heritage and culture through the Bondi Pavilion Restoration and Conservation project.

A number of initiatives and activities are happening around the Pavilion celebrating the rich history and culture of this Bondi icon, including:

Displays in the Foyer of the Pavilion including a video on its history and Restoration information

Jazz @The Pav, throughout March. Reminiscent of jazz in the early days of the Pavilion, this is a month long celebration of jazz music in Bondi. This year Jazz@The Pav features great musicians like Fat Yahooza, Marha Marlow and RedHands.

Homegrown, Friday 29 March. Bringing local bands to the people, Homegrown will deliver an afternoon and evening not to disappoint. This year Council is working closely with the Friends of Bondi Pavilion to celebrate what Bondi and the Pavilion has to offer.

Waverley 160. Council's social media program highlighting the 160th birthday of the Waverley Municipality, profiling a number of people linked to the Pavilion and its history.

Sketch Flash, the Bondi Pavilion edition. Sketch Flash allows contributors to record their experience and surroundings through sketch. Exhibitions of works installed on site and online at the conclusion of the program. More information to come on the Pavilion program.

Keep an eye out for more exciting activities and initiatives showcasing Bondi Pavilion's rich cultural history throughout the Restoration project.

Council endorses amended concept designs

Following community consultation in September 2018, a report summarising community feedback on the proposed concept designs for the Bondi Pavilion Restoration and Conservation Project went to Council for consideration on Tuesday 20 November 2018. The report recommended a number of changes be made to the concept designs based on the feedback we received from the community.

Council endorsed a revised concept plan to progress to the next stage of the process - detailed design. A summary of the amendments to the concept plan include:

A larger space for the Pottery Studio, as well as a variation to the design of the kiln room to allow for a second kiln.

Relocation of the Lifeguards Room on the Ground Floor to outside the Pavilion.

Allowing for a designated loading/unloading zone in the southern courtyard for users of the High Tide Room, Music Studios, Theatre, Art Gallery and events.

Repositioning the 'Tourist Centre/Box Office' to the north of the Entrance Foyer.

Indicating all commercial tenancies as large 'shell space' to allow for small or large tenancies as demand, structural and heritage considerations would allow.

Ensuring the first floor servery room is fit for multi-purpose use in association with the adjacent rooms.

Increasing the size of the amenities in the Theatre Green Room.

The final floorplans are available in the document library to the right of this page. Architects TZG will now start working on the detailed design of the approved floor plan.

The community will have further opportunity (across 28 days) to provide feedback when we are at the Development Application (DA) stage. Council is aiming to have the DA documentation ready early-mid 2019.

Background information

At our June Council meeting, Council voted to approve the revised architect’s brief. It was developed following extensive community and stakeholder consultation incorporating the recommendations of the Bondi Pavilion Stakeholder Committee. This follows the earlier, February Council meeting, decision to formally withdraw the Development Application for the Stage 1 upgrade which was submitted in March 2017.

The architects, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, will now work on a new concept design for the whole building. This design will then be part of another public consultation period before the DA process and detailed design commences.

The revised brief includes:

Retention and refurbishment of the music rooms, theatre, High Tide room and Seagull Room in their existing position

Renovation of all of the amenities including showers, toilets and change facilities.

Provision of adequate waste management and storage facilities

Provision of technological facilities to future-proof the space

Maintaining viability of outdoor festivals, music, film, theatre and other performance in the internal courtyard areas, including the future uses and functions of the current amphitheatre

Preparation of designs for the area of Bondi Park between the Bondi Pavilion and Park Drive guided by all relevant conservation management plans

Ensuring adequate plumbing for the building.

At our September Council meeting, Council voted to place the new concept designs on community consultation. The consultation was open between 7 September and 5 October. The feedback received in this process led to further changes to the concept designs, which are now moving into the next phase of the project.

Outside of the Pavilion project, there is lots happening with maintenance and smaller-scale renovations at the Pavilion. For instance:

Work has recently finished on a complete re-roofing of the High Tide room

New turf has been laid, and additional work done on courtyard lawns

Planter boxes in the courtyards have been freshly planted

The large planter box inside the atrium has been removed and the floor tiled.

Bondi Pavilion Stakeholder Committee

Following last year’s Council elections, in November 2017 a stakeholder committee was formed to recommend and prioritise the desired uses of the Bondi Pavilion. The Bondi Pavilion Stakeholder Committee has now completed this work and most has been reported to Council. The final recommendations, on the theatre, will be made to Council on 1 May, at the Operations and Community Services meeting.

Work on phase 2 of the Committee’s work – advising on programming and artistic direction for the Bondi Pavilion – will commence later in the year, so that it can be coordinated with the development of Council’s new Cultural Plan.

The committee was chosen by an Expression of Interest process and consists of 17 members (19 originally but two members of the Committee have withdrawn since the Committee was formed. One position is shared by two people. Click to view The Committee’s terms of reference.

Minutes of Committee meetings, and the Committee’s reports to Council are listed on this page.

BONDI WARD COUNCILLORS

On the formation of the Bondi Pavilion Stakeholder Committee, Mayor John Wakefield said:

“I promised a new approach to the refurbishment of Bondi Pavilion. I vowed to provide an open, transparent and informed governance approach which includes getting the community involved in every stage of the Pavilion upgrade. This plan is coming to fruition.

“The appointed committee members have a vast knowledge and talent base. They are experts in a number of areas and we are very fortunate to have such a committed group of people giving vital input into the process.

“Thank you to all of the applicants who applied to be considered for the Committee.”

Deputy Mayor Dominic Wy Kanak said Council can now move forward and prepare new plans and amend the development application.

“We want to create a world standard community and cultural centre and rebuild the community’s trust in those representing them.

“After this initial November–January phase, the Stakeholder Committee will then reconvene to consider future cultural and arts programming for Bondi Pavilion,” said Deputy Mayor Wy Kanak.